I am a writer, scientist, and educator who focuses on how we think about how we think. Here you'll find reports on the latest brain-related research, analyses of the social and biological aspects of brain health, and some opinionating. My work has appeared at the New York Times Motherlode blog, Forbes, Slate, Grist, The Scientist, Scientific American guest blogs, MIT Tech Review, American Scientist, The Scientist, Backpacker, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, and in other local and regional publications.

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Fox News Asks, Can Autism Be Prevented?

It’s happened again at Fox. After taking down a story last year that was packed with misinformation about genetically modified foods–headlined “What you need to know“–Fox has now offered up another similarly underevidenced article, this time headlined “Can autism be prevented?”

Short answer: No, not usually.

In spite of that, the article goes longer and turns to one ‘Rober’ (sic) Melillo, who practices something called “chiropractic neurology.” The unbylined article says about autism:

The statistic rates used to be one in 150 – so how did we get these new numbers? Dr. Rober Melillo, co-founder of the Brain Balance Achievement Centers, spoke with Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing health editor for FoxNews.com, about the science behind autism, as well the facts and myths surrounding the condition.

Melillo, in fact, does neither. Instead, he exhibits a rather basic grasp of genetics, blames the autism “epidemic” completely on environmental factors, and then, the article says, blames genetic “predisposition” and environmental factors together. If you’re confused and need some clarity, well guess what? Melillo’s got a book to sell you. The article says:

Fortunately, Melillo identified numerous preventative measures parents can take to better ensure their child will not be born with autism. All of these measures are included in his book, Autism: The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorder — and What Parents Can Do Now.

Autistic individuals tend to use different areas of the brain (yellow) for a movement task compared to a control group (blue). Powell K. Opening a window to the autistic brain. PLoS Biol . 2004 ;2(8) :E267. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0020267. PMID 15314667. PMC 509312. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Natch. Most of the “measures” remain hidden in the pages of this book–which you can purchase!–but the one the article cites? Prenatal vitamins. Raise your hand if you took prenatal horsepills before, during, and after pregnancy and still had a child with autism. Melillo seems to be referencing this paper but misinterpreting the odds ratio data. The authors note the limitations of their study here in the full text of the article, which included that it relied on maternal recall of vitamin intake around pregnancy, several years after the pregnancy. They also did not collect information on diet. So, sure, take your prenatal vitamin, but don’t do it because you think it’ll prevent autism.

Melillo then helpfully offers that autism is “essentially an imbalance in the brain.” That’s likely useful for him to say because, as you might have noted above, he’s the co-founder of the Brain Balance Centers, offering a proprietary program and franchises scattered around the country. Their operating basis is this “imbalance in the brain.” I once wrote a critique of what I found on the Brain Balance Centers website (warning: critique’s a snarkorama), which brought not only a whole lot of very similar comments in favor of the centers but also a series of emails from various center administrators. It was … interesting. In spite of my comments on and exploration of the irrelevant references the Brain Balance Center cites here, these unhelpful citations still remain on their page called “The Truth.”

After offering in the FoxNews article the further cutting-edge observation that research into the mechanisms of autism is “going towards understanding what is really happening,” Melillo suggests that most allergies and food sensitivities and immune problems “really start in the brain.” That’s such a huge, general statement that I’ll just generally respond, No, they generally don’t. Blame your bones or the thymus or T cells or B cells, but don’t blame the brain.

Obviously, Melillo has every right to peddle his book in high-value venues and to set up centers that trumpet ‘cures’ for autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and Tourette’s. What baffles me is why the “senior managing health editor” at FoxNews thought that it was OK to let Melillo do this bit of unscientific PR-related marketing on his watch, particularly given the abundance of genuine autism experts who could have been asked instead.

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I suppose that may be where we have to disagree. The messenger in this case was Fox. The overall message was correct, that there is an environmental component to autism and therefore a pathway to prevention. That is an important and worthwhile message for the millions of people concerned about autism and its impact on their families and society. It is no longer scientifically tenable to avow that autism is a 100% genetic condition, an important turnabout from prior conventional wisdom. You and I agree that perhaps this doctor is not the most credentialed or least conflicted spokesperson for these facts, but facts they remain. Without having read the book (which I note will be available for free at our respective local libraries), it’s impossible to argue the validity of its proposed prevention methods. Valid or not, the chap is filling a void that only exists because of federal inaction. If NIH/IACC had not been so myopic in only funding genetic research that has yielded no useful prevention or treatment options in the last 20 years, environmental causation research might be further along and we wouldn’t have to rely on “anecdotal” evidence from frontline providers, or question their motives.

No, that wasn’t the overall message. And he’s not filling any void; a ton of money goes to research into environmental factors that might prove causative in autism, not only federal but also research $$ from Autism Speaks, etc. It’s a “hot” area of autism research, if rather tiresome and like chasing dust bunnies around in many cases, with no real results. We don’t need Melillo or Fox to introduce this idea; it’s been around for years and years, e.g., these hits here, the most basic of searches. And whether environmental or genetic, either would open a “pathway to prevention,” if that’s what someone wants, which I don’t, as I find it eugenicist. I don’t know anyone who asserts that autism is 100% genetic, which is nonsensical. I’m sure that having his book available for free in local libraries was the selfless goal from the get-go. I see from the language you use what you’re working at here, by the way.

I think one has to be very careful of relying on “scientific studies’ as proof of anything they want to espouse. We all know that the tobacco companies conducted scientific studies years ago and told us that cigarettes are safe andmmost doctors love Camels. Politics and money are frequently in the equation. We also know that studies on vaccine safety are carried out by gov’t agencies that also mandate the vaccine schedule. Can we always trust that all “scientific studies” are honest? And of course, the answer is “NO.”

Emily, my child was born cesarean section. Strike one. That same day he received an unnecessary mercury preserved Hepatitis B vaccine. Strike two. His mother developed a blood clot and could not breast feed. Strike three. My child got sick from that point on and was prescribed anti-biotics over 30 times for ear infections. Strike four. My child received 10 more mercury laden vaccines. Strike 14. Child had third seizure following 18 month well baby visit. Child never the same after this. Next Doctor visit, autism. This case of autism could have easily been prevented with a cautious, competent pediatrician. My child was named the top pediatrician by his peers. He is part of a major university health care system.

If we try to eliminate autism using genetics, we will cause other effects that will be very, very, very serious. If we say that only those minds and brains that function in a rigidly prescribed way are allowed to exist, we will also be eliminating people with abilities that we need; creativity, genius, just plain eccentricity (to leaven conformity), and many other traits.

Almost everything we humans have done has had positive and negative effects. We burn fossil fuel and make human lives better, but cause global warming. People enjoy having pythons, but now they are all over the Everglades.

We humans are hundreds of years away from having the correct information and wisdom to try to change the human genetic makeup without negative consequences.